User reviews

Well thought out,well dramatized story that needs to be told. Good acting by Michelle Monaghan.

It seems that 2 large groups of people have rated this well done movie a 10 star and another large group of people have given it a 1 star rating. in my opinion both groups are incorrect. saint judy is a well acted drama about the complications and blind spots in the process of obtaining legal asylum in the usa. i believe people with opposing political views are trying to weaponize the IMBD rating system and may ruin the chance of the movie being seen by people who use those ratings to decide if they want to spend 2hrs. of their lives watching a particular film. i am a fan of ms. monaghan's and have had good luck choosing movies with her in them but the rating was so low that i began to read the user reviews and that lead to a graph with the number of people giving the 10 star rating all way down to 1 star. hmmm very curious voting pattern...? so i decided to watch the movie and i am glad i did. it was shockingly informative and it made me feel for and understand some of the situations of people caught up in the immigration system. it's not a cut and dried issue, in my mind, that everyone is trying to game the system to enter the country. i thank the film makers for giving me an opportunity to see a side of the system that we as citizens do not seem to be getting from news and other media these days.

The film presents the story of Judy Wood's pivotal breakthrough in changing the interpretation of political asylum in the USA. Since we know she won, the main interest comes from watching the filmmaker's exploration of her emotional struggles. The results are uplifting. You come out of this film feeling like the "little guy or gal" can still win. It only takes clarity and persistence. The film is well crafted, well-acted, and but dialogue is a bit cringy. It's hard to see how this movie differentiates itself from a TV MOW or biopic.

Its a tv-movie production on people of different reasons seeking political asylum in the u.s.a.. its also a biographical flick about judy woods, an l.a. based lawyer, and her way into this trade of justice.

its a typical lawywer client judge courtroom film, that at the end ends very well, and its solely made to show that there are hope. technically its ok but no more than that.

its a film that should fit everyone who likes courtsoaps etcetera, nothing extravagant, but a good watch while waiting for your favourite show,thinks the grumpy old man.

The story is guaranteed to touch your heartstrings. It makes you are for all the characters, hoping for victory and justice. I hope there are more people as selfless as Judy Wood!

I liked this. It's a bit moralistic and leans heavily to the white knight on a charger is a lady type theme. There are a few good men to be found lurking in the background, who are only good because they have been guilted in to being so. The pretty refugee who has cheesy bits around her lips, is properly doped up by the authorities until wonder woman Saint Judy comes along and saves the day. Saint Judy does this all while having no pay cheques until the very end. How on earth does she rent a house, rent an office and put food on the table? Is this the ultimate charity of strangers movie? I will admit that the story did strike me as one that is only too real and relevant and that there is injustice that is worth fighting against. Nice touch with the ending.

Certainly not worthy of the conspiracy reviewers and low ratings. It's background is a little bland, most of whatever is happening outside the politics and law seems completely unnecessary, but it's a nice little inspiration piece. The only 'agenda' that was pushed was the simple pointing out how the western world has indeed failed many people that needed asylum. It touches on issues that aren't often talked about, and quickly breaks down any xenophobic ideas with a lot of love and love good will. Gives you the warm fuzzies.

7.0 stars.

It's based on a true story, which makes this more interesting than most. I think it's dramatized just the right amount. I like the actors, they all did very well. On one hand, it's very real for any person who needs asylum in the USA, but there's a fine line between those who need it and those who are trying to cut corners and get citizenship any way they can. Let's face it, we would grant it to all these people if we could, but it's just not reasonable, because then it's nothing but an open can of worms and then everyone from every third world country will be in the USA before you know it. So the I. C. E. System is there for a reason. But this woman definitely got justice and amen to that.

Saint Judy (2018) was directed by Sean Hanish. It's a narrative film, based on the life of Attorney Judy Wood, played by Michelle Monaghan.

Wood is an immigration attorney who truly believes that the U.S. should welcome, not reject, people seeking asylum. She fights for these people--particularly women--and often saves them from deportation and death.

The problem is that this kind of commitment requires her to neglect other aspects of her life. Personal and financial matters keep pulling her in one direction, while the work she does pulls her the other way.

The plot of the film consists of Attorney Wood moving toward the moment of truth in a deportation hearing in the Federal District Court.

The acting in the movie is excellent, and the message is profound. I think this film is good enough to recommend it to everyone. If you're an attorney or a human rights activist, it's a must see. It will work well on the small screen.

We saw Saint Judy at Rochester's excellent Little Theatre. It was shown as part of the Rochester High Falls Women's Film Festival, where it won the audience award for Best Narrative Film.

Dir. Sean Hanish is just as selfless in his filmmaking as Judith Wood was in her pursuit for equality. Saint Judy follows Wood's (Michelle Monaghan) relentless journey to find asylum for Afghan refugee Asefa (Leem Lubany), after an immoral arrest for her empowerment and education of young women. Hanish is equally determined to give Wood a voice that is heard beyond the judicial system, using any cinematic means necessary to project what Wood preached on to the big screen. He does not shy away from expositional dialogue, which works to his advantage, because giving Wood an entire backstory would have dragged out the plot to the point where audiences would lose interest. Hanish also uses the B Plot brilliantly by giving viewers a break from the complexity of the legal case while still engaging them in the domino effect that Judith's devotion has on her domestic life. Saint Judy ultimately follows the framework for a biopic in a way that emphasizes the thematics of Judith Wood's story over her own personality, which is an act just as altruistic as Wood herself.

Beautiful and touchy movie! I got Erin Brockovich vibes. Very inspiring, it's a shame that it didn't get more hype. I accidentally noticed it in my AMC Theatre app and decided to give it a try. Haven't seen a trailer either. Defined deserve more attention that it gets. Story is heartbreaking, there are thousands of women around the world who have no voice, who are not allowed to learn, to read, to speak out. It's horrifying.

Saint Judy is the story of Judy Wood and how she saved millions of women's lives by changing the interpretation of political asylum in the United States. In the Film, Wood is an immigration attorney who truly believes that the U.S. should welcome people seeking asylum. She fights for these people, particularly women, to save them from deportation and death. Director, Sean Hanish, did an excellent job with the flashbacks which serve to reveal depth and complexity in both the characters and the situation. I believe that the acting in the movie is excellent, and the message the film is promoting is profound. I think this film is good enough to recommend it to everyone. If you're an attorney or a human rights activist, it's a must see.

I saw this at the Mill Valley Film festival and was struck by just how timely this film is. As our president demonizes and blocks legitimate asylum seekers, this story reminds us what that looks like on the ground.

The script and performances are all exceptional, and the story is remarkable. But you can't watch it without constantly reminding yourself that we're all still in the middle of it.

A powerful true story with a great cast centered around the tenacious Monaghan. Hanish and Portnoy do an incredible job with the flashbacks in the film, which reveal depth of character and the complexity of the situation - both from a legal and familial/social perspective.

This complexity was one of the bigger takeaways for me. It's a theme that is often overlooked in our current political and social climate. Everyone seems to enjoy a polarizing stance that puts them at odds with another group, but the reality is the truth in a lot of situations is much more case-specific based, and residing in a messy gray-zone between two dominating ideologies.

A valuable watch if one is keen to gain perspective on an incredible and topical true story.

Incredibly eye-opening and informative, Saint Judy broadened my perspective on the modern immigrant's struggles upon arriving to the United States. The true narrative follows Judy Wood (Michelle Monaghan) and her ambitious attempts to help the case of Afghan woman Asefa, in which she applies for asylum after being imprisoned by the Taliban for empowering young girls with knowledge. Judy's unyielding effort to save Asefa then leads into a battle against the United States law of asylum for women. Although I am already familiarized with life for Hispanic immigrants, as my parents initially held that status, this film educated me on the brutal centers in which most immigrants are held, and on the law of asylum for especially Afghan women. Immigration being such a relevant topic today, I gained a new outlook on the modern immigrant and their struggles to reach equality and freedom within this country. I highly recommend you watch Saint Judy, as it encapsulated my attention while also giving me an inside viewpoint to the hardships immigrants, especially female, must endure.

Saint Judy isn't your typical courtroom drama, eschewing most of the tropes and trimmings that come with this sort of fare. There's no prosecutor shouting at the top of their lungs, frothing at the mouth about injustice. There are no miraculous discoveries of facts right in the nick of time to save the accused. Indeed, its climatic ruling takes place inside of a trailer. This commitment to honest verisimilitude not sets Saint Judy apart from other films about the law, but serve to highlight its sense of humanity, warmth, and do-gooder tenacity in the face of a harsh, jaded and broken criminal justice system.

Michelle Monaghan plays Judy Wood, an Angeleno immigration attorney who takes it upon herself to represent Asefa Ashwari, an Afghan schoolteacher seeking asylum from her own nation, played by Leem Lubany. These two form the beating heart of the film, treating their scenes with a nuanced balance of Wood's optimism and Ashwari's reticence. Alfred Molina plays attorney Ray Hernandez whose law office employs Wood; Molina also executive produced the film. The rest of the supporting cast (Common, Alfre Woodard, Peter Krause, Ben Schnetzer, Mykelti Williamson) give performances just as direct and unshowy, letting the Kafkaesque nightmare of the scenario speak for itself.

Director Sean Hanish and writer Dmitry Portnoy have the right approach for Saint Judy, keeping focus on its characters facing off a world that seeks to dehumanize its most vulnerable. The filmmakers resist the temptation to sermonize, lionize or demonize; they seek only to humanize, sidestepping the usual mythologization one finds in a Hollywood film of this nature. Time and time again, Wood is placed up against the ropes, struggling to balance her family-work-life situation while earning the trust of her client and supporting herself in Los Angeles. The ending does indulge in a bit of schmaltz, reminiscent of those sentimental Hollywood dramas. But the coda is a delight, and a potent reminder of those still fighting the good fight, especially in these troubled times.

Saint Judy delivers the remarkable story of Ms. Judith L. Woods, an American immigration lawyer whose fight for justice and what's right, while it may seem more poignant in today's political climate, reaches its audience and reminds them what it truly means to be an American. Beyond her accomplishments as a lawyer with a drive to defend those mistreated and looked down upon for their position to seek asylum in America (not to mention the addition of any racial or ethnic prejudices), the film focuses on one of her more remarkable accomplishments to change United States law to include women as a protected class when seeking asylum. One thing that I liked aside from the story is the cast of this film, Michelle Monaghan is Ms. Woods herself and Common makes an appearance in the film opposing her in court; both give an excellent portrayal. Aside from the more well-known members of the cast, even actors and actresses that I didn't recognize do a fantastic job of delivering the emotion demanded by the story and bringing the realism to their characters that I find is often lost in dramatic biopics. A fantastic telling of Ms. Wood's story, led by a talented cast, make this an easy biopic to recommend.

I'm still trying to get over how moved I was by "Saint Judy!" The drama follows Judy Wood, an attorney played by Michelle Monaghan, who takes on the landmark case of Afghani immigrant Asefa (movingly played by Leem Lubany) as she fights to legally stay in the United States in asylum. The film follows how the strong-willed Judy Wood fights for what she believes in, fully inspiring me as I watched the events unfold on the screen. With so many big names in the movie, such as Michelle Monaghan, Alfre Woodard, and Alfred Molina, it's no wonder the performances were as powerful as they are; however, Leem Lubany's acting is what truly struck me. The actress's role in the movie required such a reserved, yet bold, representation and Lubany delivered, especially as she presented her story in the court room causing not even a breath to be heard in the room where I was watching the film. I highly recommend you allow this film to take you on an emotional roller coaster.

I always enjoy films with strong female leads, so Michelle Monaghan's incredible performance as Judith Woods ensured that I'd love this movie. SAINT JUDY is an inspiring story about a single mother and female lawyer in the early 2000's fighting to change the law regarding immigrants who seek asylum within the U.S. Throughout the movie, Monahan conveys Judy's resilient personality, illustrating both her personal struggle to be caring, single mom and her professional fight to be a successful female attorney. The fact that this is based on a true story made it all the more empowering. Overall, topics such as immigration and women's rights are major players, but the whole cast, including Monaghan, did an incredible job of depicting these rights in ways different than what one would typically expect from today's media. For those who appreciate strong females in a film will love SAINT JUDY.

Great acting by all the principals. Yes, quite amazing how she changes hearts of people, but it seems that the real Judy Wood has done the same. From an outside view as a Brit, it's clear this topic is controversial in America. It is a very difficult topic for sure. I enjoyed the film. And it was enlightening. And nice that it was based on a true story and seemed to follow the facts of Wood's life.

Saint Judy is a compelling tale of bravery and determination in the face of sheer adversity. Challenging American laws on asylum backed by years and years of precedent, Judith Wood's relentless passion for justice is highlighted in this film as you follow her arduous journey through the American judicial system. Michelle Monaghan's portrayal of Wood conveys a sense of compassion rarely seen on the big screen, exemplifying how Wood's unwavering commitment to her clients and the greater good allowed her to change the legal landscape forever. Director Sean Hanish carefully crafted this biographical drama to not only focus on the story of Judith Wood, but also on the often-neglected realities of the immigrant experience. In a volatile political climate where women and immigrants are still fighting for equal rights and recognition, Saint Judy highlights an important step towards justice and equality for everyone.

"Saint Judy" is an amazing independent movie that everyone should see. Judy Wood is a modern hero, an immigration lawyer whose life is dedicated to the others. Her crusade and her determination to represent and save the life of that afghan persecuted woman has moved me more than I can explain... The actors did a great job at telling that incredible true story, Michelle Monaghan is a great choice, she is a very credible Judy Wood ..I was blessed to participate at one of "Saint Judy" Q&A and met Judy, Dimitri who wrote the script and brilliant Director, Producer Sean Hanish who gave a life to that inspirational true story. Truly genuine, empathetic, talented human beings. I highly recommend this movie, It gave me hope for more humanity in this world... go and see it!!!

Saint Judy does a really beautiful job at showing how defiant it is to fight for others to be treated with simple empathy. We live in an extremely unfair world, and our immigration system is just one facet of that. Where it seems like all hope is lost and there's no use in fighting, there is Judy's vibrant and determined outlook on life, just genuinely wanting to make other people's lives better. She is an infectiously bright presence, and a lot of that is because of Michelle Monaghan. She really captures the uplifting spirit of the film and makes you believe in all the good in the world. This film is both clever and inspiring, and leaves you with the reminder that there is always hope.